Travelers Warned of Busing Accidents in Boca Raton and Elsewhere through SaferBus App

Buses are a prime form of transportation for a lot of residents and tourists in Florida, especially during Spring Break and the summer travel season.

Unfortunately, not many travelers think about looking into the safety ratings of busing companies before they book their trip. There’s good news though! The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced its launch of the SaferBus app. This is a free app that’s available to iPhone and iPad users and offers some great inside info on busing companies and safety ratings.

Don’t have an iPhone or an iPad? Don’t worry! You can also access this app on the “Look Before You Book” webpage and on the FMCSA’s website. This app, website and this information is offered to help travelers to avoid a potentially fatal busing accident in Boca Raton and elsewhere throughout the state of Florida.

“As college students, families and tour groups start thinking about spring and summer travel, we encourage everyone to use the SaferBus app to look before you book,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Our Boca Raton injury lawyers understand that the U.S. currently has more than 6,000 interstate commercial passenger carriers. This number includes school buses, privately owned motorcoach and tour bus companies. This kind of information is critical, especially when you consider that these carriers took more than 700 million trips in just 2009, according to the American Bus Association. Travelers are urged to be cautious when picking a busing company to travel with. Be sure to do your homework and check out safety ratings before making your Spring Break or summer travel plans!

The FMCSA Administrator, Ann Ferro, says that this smartphone technology is the best way to get this information out to travelers. You can access this valuable information with just the touch of a button, and it’s delivered right to your phone. The Administration’s goal is to help keep safety as a number one priority for both busing companies and travelers.

The new app is able to help travelers to look through the last 2 years of safety records for companies they’re considering travel with. This information includes fatigued driving, unsafe driving, driver fitness, alcohol/drug use and maintenance info for each company.

Travelers will also be provided information regarding which companies are illegal and have already been shut down by the FMCSA. These companies will be flagged with the term “NOT ALLOWED TO OPERATE.” Travelers are advised not to use companies that don’t have USDOT operating authority.

Through the new app and the new website, riders will also be able to easily file a complaint through the FMCSA’s National Consumer Compliant Database.

Our Boca Raton accident attorneys encourage all riders to use this app and to check out the website to get some valuable information regarding your list of potential busing companies.